From Moab, Utah we drove eight hours to Santa Fe, New Mexico where we lodged for the night at the beautiful home of a former railroad tycoon, the Madeline Inn.
Built in 1866 the lovely Victorian Queen Anne building is surrounded by gardens, a courtyard, and is lavishly furnished with period pieces and some unusual items from the owner’s travels to Indonesia–Buddha statues and Hindu puppets.
The Madeline’s owner Caroline graciously assisted with information about the use of their land line for an interview on a radio station.
I was interviewed over the phone while in this lovely room. As I visited with the show’s host, little birds in the tree right outside my window sang
. Fun extras were provided. Here’s one example; if we needed a cloth for a small task, such as washing Fiddo, they were within easy reach–right in our room.
Breakfast at the Madeline was a delightful combination of sweet and spicy. George, the inn’s chef served a scrumptious spinach egg dish with spicy salsa and black beans, coffee cake, banana bread, and fruit. Organic coffee and tea were offered, as well as juice.
One of the reasons we chose the Madeline is its location near Santa Fe’s famous historic city center. After breakfast, Vern and I walked a short distance to the Plaza for a look at some of New Mexico’s rich architectural history.
The most stunning feature of the Plaza is the Palace of the Governors.
Built in 1610, the Palace of the Governors is the longest operating public building in the United States and currently serves as New Mexico’s history museum.
Native American vendors, along the front of the Palace, sell pottery, jewelry, baskets, blankets, and other crafts. They have been doing so since 1936.
Nearly all of the artisans along the Palace offered sterling silver and turquoise jewelry for a sum exceeding our trip’s “extra purchases” budget. So we enjoyed the beauty of the people and their traditional crafts without making a purchase.
After a few hours in the Plaza, window shopping and admiring the stunning adobe architecture, we had a late lunch in a well loved local restaurant–La Choza before heading south to visit our son, his wife and our first grandchild in Gardendale, Texas.
More about La Choza and our trip to the oil boom fields of western Texas in our next blog entry.
Blessings to you~
Pamela & Vern
Copyright @ 2014 P&V Koefoed
Photos and material are the property of Pamela & Vern Koefoed and may not be used in any form without written permission. Thank you.